The Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins played the rubber match of the three-game series at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Detroit used three runs in the eighth and ninth inning to take down Minnesota, 10-7.
Miguel Cabrera hit a double to score Ian Kinsler, which got things started for Detroit. Cabrera continued his dominance with a 446 foot home run to center in the sixth and a home run to center that went 430 feet. He finished 3-for-5 with four RBI. The Big Fella is now hitting .370/.453/.630 on the season.
"The long ball will hurt you, no matter who's out there," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.
In the sixth, J.D. Martinez went deep to left. It was his only hit, but it provided a ton of momentum for the away team.
James McCann provided a ton of offensive help with an inside-the-park home run in the sixth inning. He finished the day 3-for-4 with three RBI. He has hit much better than Alex Avila so far this season, but he will have to keep it up to steal away the starting role.
"I've never run that far in a baseball game before," McCann said.
After the sixth inning, the game was knotted at seven.
Andrew Romine went 4-for-4 with an RBI to help set up the Tigers top of the order. The nine hitter dropped a single to left center to score Yoenis Cespedes. That gave Detroit a 8-7 lead.
"That's the beauty of this team," McCann said. "Up and down the lineup, guys can hurt you left and right. That's a great thing to have."
In the ninth, Cabrera hit a home run to center to score himself and Kinsler. That was the nail in the coffin to secure Detroit's victory.
The Twins got power help from Oswaldo Arcia, who went deep to right in the fourth to score Joe Mauer. Trevor Plouffe hit a 390 foot home run to score both Brian Dozier and Mauer.
Shane Greene got the start for Detroit and struggled again. After starting out hot, he has pitched poorly in his last two starts. Greene went 4.1 innings and gave up seven earned runs on nine hits, but no walks in the no-decision.
"We're always in a game," said Kinsler, one of six players with at least two hits. "I think it helps our pitchers that they understand that, that as long as they can keep us close and keep us in the game we've got a chance to win, we've got a chance to explode."
The righty gave up two home runs over 85 pitches. Greene now has a 4.60 ERA.
Tom Gorzelanny got the win for Detroit and is now 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA on the season. The offseason addition went 1.1 innings and gave up just one hit. Gorzelanny struck out two on 17 pitches.
Detroit called Joakim Soria on for the ninth inning. He got the save and is now 9-for-9 in situations. Soria gave up a hit and a walk, but was able to finish strong. With the save, Soria sets the Tigers franchise record for most saves in the month of April.